One billion lives

[Trisul 649]

Late, but nice to hear you're off the smokes Ding.  

The UK used to ask people to estimate how many quit attempts they'd made only after they indicated in regular surveys that they had quit smoking.  They then changed their surveys to capture active quit attempts.  The number of recorded quit attempts before finally quitting (~20) was quadruple the estimates (~5) and, on average, took 4 years.  

The most common response given to people who indicate that they're addicted to smoking is 'Just quit'.  Some can.  Hundreds of millions can't.  If my previous smoking levels were applied to the above data on quitting, I would have smoked another 72,800 cigarettes before being able to 'Just quit' (or maybe just die).

These days, the only people who smoke are addicts.  Maybe we can reduce their harm to themselves by orders of magnitude, and eliminate their harm to others?

 

"Compared with full-time smokers, e-cigarette-only users had 97% lower levels of one toxic chemical, NNAL, that is strongly associated with lung cancer."

http://www.itv.com/news/2017-02-07/vaping-is-far-safer-than-smoking-cigarettes/

Edited February 8, 2017 by Trisul

[Trisul 649]

So.. in a few weeks Victorian nicotine addicts who are attempting to quit tobacco via use of a vapouriser will be required to adhere to the regulations designed for the deadly tobacco products that they are attempting to flee (never mind the crippling business regulations that will now also apply to the life saving industry).  Money rules and replacing a billion dollar annual revenue stream isn't easy.  Oh, and screw the addicts.  Quit or die.

Greedy governments plan to maxmise profits from tobacco:

• The 2017–18 Budget increases excise and excise equivalent customs duties taxed on a per kilogram basis.[1]
• This increase is in addition to the decision taken in the 2016–17 Budget to increase tobacco excise on all tobacco products, including cigarettes and RYO tobacco, by an additional 12.5 per cent on 1 September of each year from 2017 to 2020.[2] T
• It is also in addition to the biannual indexation of tobacco excise to average weekly ordinary time earnings on 1 March and 1 September each year.

 

Meanwhile, rather than profiteering from it, enlightened governments plan to eradicate smoking using every tobacco harm reduction resource at their disposal:

UK Govt. Tobacco Control Plan

Vaping should be allowed in offices and enclosed public spaces in order to “maximise” access to safer alternatives to smoking, a Government plan says.  Announcing a vision to create a “smokefree generation,” ministers set new targets to cut smoking rates by one quarter in adults - and to stamp out the habit among younger generations.  The Tobacco Control Plan pledges to “maximise the availability of safer alternatives to smoking” and to support smokers turning to nicotine substitutes.

In particular, it reminds employers that e-cigarette use is not covered by smokefree legislation - so should not be included in policies which ban smoking.

Duncan Selbie, chief executive of PHE, said: "We are at a pivotal point where an end is in sight and a smoke-free generation a reality. But the final push, reaching the most vulnerable and disadvantaged, will undoubtedly be the hardest.  Only by everyone pulling together can we hope to end the loss of life and suffering smoking has wreaked for far too long. Public Health England will do everything possible to make this happen."

Simon Clark, director of smokers' group Forest, said: "The most important stakeholder is the consumer, yet they are routinely ignored by Government.  Ministers should stop lecturing smokers and engage with them."

UK Government embraces tobacco harm reduction (in all but name).

...this makes the UK Government the first in the world to adopt an official tobacco harm reduction agenda.  The plan crystallizes the UK’s trajectory from almost prohibiting vapour products in 2010 to being the world’s most forward thinking and liberal on vaping today.

Edited July 20, 2017 by Trisul

[nutbean 8,837]

On 10/11/2016 at 3:47 PM, nutbean said:

 

I live in Oakleigh and next July they are banning smoking outside in Eaton Mall which is choc o bloc full of Greek restaurants and every morning full of old greek morning having a greek coffee and a dart. It will be interesting to see what the backlash is. I, for one, am delighted. I like to eat outside but don't like people smoking around me when i am eating. 

The actual date is August 1 - it will be interesting to see if it is policed and if there is a drop off in patronage. I, for one, will be happy that i can eat El Fresco without having smoke wafting over me. It is not the second hand smoke health problems that worry me ( something's gotta kill you). I don't like eating wand having to smell the smoke.

[Trisul 649]

It seems that everyone at Eton Mall is unhappy now @nutbean - except the old Greek smokers.  

Ineffective legislation successfully deployed, but BOY did the government look tough on smoking.

(And thank heavens the revenue keeps rolling in)

Edited August 2, 2017 by Trisul

[nutbean 8,837]

6 hours ago, Trisul said:

It seems that everyone at Eton Mall is unhappy now @nutbean - except the old Greek smokers.  

Ineffective legislation successfully deployed, but BOY did the government look tough on smoking.

(And thank heavens the revenue keeps rolling in)

I was in Eaton Mall last night and most areas were non smoking - Vanilla had big plastic screens up to allow a smoking area. I detest having people smoke near me whilst eating but I am not so sensitive to it to suggest that people that are two restaurants down from me will impact. But the test will come in the warmer months were the place is packed and the air is still. 

Simple for me - I want to be able to eat outside without smelling smoke.  The idea of allowing it before a certain time is a nonsense - I eat breakfast in Eaton and a lot of the time am gasping from the ciggie fumes. 

Not sure what the answer is  - besides a complete ban in eating precincts. I am sure that second hand smoke is bad for the health - but for me, I just find the smell repugnant.

 

[Trisul 649]